1977 Map of Boston South

About this map

The Boston metropolitan waterfront and its dense urban corridors are captured in high detail through this late-1970s orthophotoquad, which uses aerial photography from the Department of Public Works to show the city's physical form. The image clearly depicts the industrial piers and shipping berths lining Boston Harbor and the residential density of the surrounding neighborhoods. The Charles River separates the primary city center from Cambridge, while the southern reaches are defined by the winding course of the Neponset River. This perspective reveals the complex intersection of 20th-century highway infrastructure and traditional coastal geography near Dorchester Bay and the peninsula of Squantum, providing a clear look at the city's layout before the major transformations of the late 20th century.